Across the country, a growing number of states, cities and counties are enacting laws designed to remove barriers faced by individuals with criminal records in finding employment. These measures include "ban-the-box" legislation, which forbids employers from asking about criminal history on an employment application; laws directing when and how criminal background information can be used in hiring decisions; and financial incentives for employers who hire individuals with qualifying criminal records.

Laws restricting what private employers may ask about criminal history during the application process are in place in 11 states, the District of Columbia and more than a dozen cities and counties. Several more states have legislation applying ban-the-box provisions to private employers under consideration at this time.

U.S. DOL Confirms That Employees Are Not Entitled To Refuse FMLA Leave

March 21, 2019 via Laner Muchin

Employers are obviously allowed to do more than what the FMLA requires, but, based on the DOL’s Opinion Letter, employers need to recognize that certain absences will be covered by the FMLA whether or not the employee wants them to be covered.

To run an RTW program, it is necessary to craft one that’s geared not just to the nature of the business but also to the specific company. Some core steps to guide in the creation and implementation of a successful program are provided below.